Mail-bag catching and delivering apparatus.



T. 1. GORMAN.

MAIL BAG CATCHING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILQED MAY 26. 1914- 1,155,91 1. Patented 00t.5,1915.

a SHEETS-SHAH 1. 13 1;

fiammf $27724.

. COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH CO., WASHINGTON. D.

T. J. GORMAN.

' MAIL BAG CATCHING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED mvza. 1914.

Patentd' 0on5, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

FF r

T. J. GORMAN. MAIL BAG CATCHING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY26. I914.

Patented Oct. 5, 1915.

5114/1:wvvtoz, flammr J 507mm To all whom it may concern:

THOMAS JOSEPHGOBIVIAN, orf' AMrMAN, SASKATCHEWAN,CANADA.

I -BA caroiame nun n n'nivnamc ArrARi 'rus,

Application filed May 26,1914. serial No. $41,128.

Be it known that 1, Thomas J. GORMAN, a citizen of Canada, residing at Lampman, in the Province of Saskatchewan andDominion of Canada, have invented new-and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag Catching and Delivering Apparatus, of whichthe following is a specification. V The invention relates to amail bag catching and delivering apparatus.

The primary object of the invention is the a provision of an apparatus of 'this character wherein the mail bags are exchanged between a moving train and a station so that the mail bags can be automatically handled without requiring any slackness in the. speed of travel of the train at stations throughout I its route, thereby permitting the trains to maintain an accurate schedule.

vision of an apparatus of this, character wherein the mail bags will be positively caught and delivered between the train and station without the possibility of their loss,

or damage to the same.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus of this character which is simple in construction, reliable and efficient in its operat on, and inexpensive in manufacture and installation.

Other objects will be in part obvious and i in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the drawings :'Figure 1 is a top plan view showing a car approaching a station with the devices of the apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention in relative positions with respect to each other.

Fig. 2 is a side elevationthereof. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a front elevation. Fig. 5 is a sectional, View on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views in the drawings.

Referring'to the drawings in detail, A

designates a mail car, which is of the ordinary well-known construction, way in the side thereof, through which proects the car mail bag catching and delivery device G,while D designates the station mail bag catching and the outer the ground at a station,

' three in number,

B the doormamawa;5,1915.

ing hereinafter fully described. The car device C comprises a pair of spaced parallel supporting bolsters or beams delivery device, both be- 10 which. are mounted in the carA to-"proj ect. through the doorway disposed substantially inverted U-shaped inner and outer uprights Hand 12- respectively,

15 respectively, the latter rails'beingcon- 'nected to substantially L-shaped'hangerslti l :which are fixed in the uprights 11 and12 Another object of the invention is the pro to reinforce and brace the same, while fixed p Y B therein beyond the side of'the said car. 'Secured to the bolsters or beams .10 are spaced vertically while arrangedbetween the said up rights are a series of spaced brackets-13 I which are fixed transversely to the beamsor bolsters lO-and form stands for spaced pairs or horizontally disposed inner and-outer. 'mail bag'catchingand delivery rails l land hangers are vertical grab arms 17 formed at'f their upper ends with reversely extended hooks 18, the rails ltand 15 being parallel and disposed other. At the ends of the'rails 15 are upin. spaced relation to each wardly divergent tapered tips 19, while'fixed to the under sides of the'said rails are downwardly directed outwardly tapered auxiliary tips 20 which'latter are adapted to cooperate with thestation' device D in a manner hereinafter described.

Secured to the uprights 11 and 12 and to rails 15 are side guards21 which serve to prevent the falling of the mail bags from the rails 1-1 and 15when caught thereon, or when being delivered therefrom.

The inner rails 14 are formed withbeveledends 22 to assure the proper coopera tion of the station device therewith.

The station device D comprises a support or upright 23, which is suitably anchored within and is formed with out-turned extensions 24 at its upper end,

pension brackets 25 carrying'horizontally dis posed spaced parallel mail bag catching ioo and to these extensions are fixed spaced sus thebeveled ends'22 of the rails 14: so as to be guided between the said rails14 and rails 15 to deliver a mail bag thereonto'and to catch a mail bag therefrom. The mail bag to be delivered from the station device D to hangers,

the device C is positioned at one side of the suspension brackets 25, while the mail bag caught from the said device 0 by the station device D is deposited at the opposite sides of the brackets 25 on the latter. This operation is similarly carried out with respect to the bag delivered to the car device and the bag caught by the station device D when the train passes a station while at full speed. The auxiliary'tips 20 on the car device C serve to guide the tapered tips 27 of the station device therebetween to aline both devices for the positive exchange of mail matter between a station and a moving train.

What is claimed is 1. A mail bag catching and delivering apparatus comprising a car supported element having spaced verticallv disposed inverted U-shaped inner and outer uprights, spaced brackets arranged horizontally arranged rails on the brackets and having outwardly divergent tapered ends, hangers rising from the intermediate brackets, a stationary element having a horizontal arm provided with spaced depending and horizontally arranged rails between the uprights,

movable between the first-named hangers slightly above the plane of the first-named rails and having inclined tapered ends.

2. A mail bag catching and delivering apparatus comprising a car supported element having spaced vertically disposed inverted U-shaped inner and outer uprights, spaced brackets arranged between the uprights, horizontally arranged rails on the brackets and having outwardly divergent tapered ends, hangers rising from the intermediate brackets, a stationary element having a horizontal arm provided with spaced depending hangers, horizontally arranged rails movable between the first-named hangers slightly above the plane of the first-named rails and having inclined tapered ends, and guard rails at opposite sides ofthe series of firstnamed rails. I 1

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS JOSEPH GORMAN.

- Witnesses? R. LLOYD, H. VAUGHAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the ficmmissioner of Patents WashinfgtomD. G. i 

